Saddleback Youth Mentor Arrested

May 27, 2017

Saddleback Church Youth Mentor Arrested on Suspicion of Lewd Acts with a Child

In Lake Forest, Ca– Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victim’s Detail investigators arrested a 32 year-old youth mentor at Saddleback Church on suspicion of inappropriate relations with at least two juveniles.

SVD investigators were contacted on Wednesday, May 24 after patrol deputies took a report alleging that a man working as a junior high school youth mentor with Saddleback Church in Lake Forest had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

During the course of the investigation, a second victim–another 14-year-old boy–was identified by police.

Both victims indicated they had engaged in inappropriate conduct with the suspect for the past year while he volunteered at the church. There have been several alleged incidents of lewd and inappropriate conduct, several of which have occurred on the church property.

One of the victims attended Saddleback Church and was part of the Junior High Ministry program when the lewd acts occurred.

Ruben Meulenberg Arrested for Child Molestation

Investigators arrested Ruben Meulenberg, 32, of Lake Forest on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child. He was booked into Orange County Jail and is being held on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday May 30, 2017.

Meulenberg volunteered at the church for approximately six years. Based on the allegations, the suspect’s leadership role as a trusted adult provided him access to the children. Investigators believe there may be additional victims

Anyone with information regarding additional victims is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victim’s Detail at (714) 647-7418 or (714) 647-7000. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227 or at occrimestoppers.org.

If you or someone you know was sexually abused or molested by Ruben Meulenberg, then you should call a California sexual abuse attorney as soon as possible. Remember, that you can call a lawyer for advice at anytime.

We will keep this post updated with more details as the case develops. We welcome you to explore the many resources that we have regarding Youth Group Accountability and sexual abusers.

Anthony DeMarco is a California child molestation attorney in Pasadena, CA. He has practiced childhood sexual abuse law since 2002 and has been instrumental in exposing sexual abuse scandals in large organizations such as the Catholic Church, School Districts, Youth Sports, and Youth Organizations.